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Yeukai Karengezeka Herald Correspondent
A Beatrice farmer who was involved in an accident that killed one person has been fined $400 by a Chitungwiza court.
David Rickards was convicted on his own plea of guilty when he appeared before Chitungwiza magistrate Mrs Yeukai Chigodora last week charged with culpable homicide.
If Rickards fails to pay the fine, he risks spending three months in prison.
Prosecutor Mr Norman Koropi proved that on May 29 last year, at around 4:35pm, Rickards was driving a Toyota Land Cruiser along the Harare-Masvingo Road.
When he approached the 22-kilometre peg, a pedestrian, Elizabeth Jackson, jumped into the road and upon noticing Rickards’ approaching vehicle, she hesitated and froze before trying to retrace her footsteps.
Rickards swerved to the left side of the road in a bid to avoid her, but he could not avoid her in time.
He resultantly hit her with the corner of the vehicle’s front bumper.
Jackson fell on the tarmac and sustained serious injuries.
She was taken to Parirenyatwa Hospital, where she died two days later.
According to the State, the accident took place on a piece of the road that is in a good state of repair.
Post-mortem results and Vehicle Inspection Department (VID) reports that were produced in court showed that in addition to speeding, Rickards failed to sound the horn, or to stop when an accident seemed imminent.
The State proved that Rickards failed to exercise extreme caution.
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